Lifan Engines

[loadthestove]

Maybe the wrong question to ask in a firewood forum ,but thought I'd ask anyway.
I recently bought a Scag 61 inch zero turn at a killer deal.i bought it knowing engine was junk
Anyway it had a kawasaki engine on it and I'm in the market for a replacement

A new kawasaki is 2800+ with Honda Briggs and Kohler in roughly same ball park.
I need a horizontal shaft engine with a 1 1/8 inch shaft .
I found a new Lifan engine that will work for my use.it has a 3 yr warranty and I can buy it for just under $1000
Im not familiar with them,anyone here have any input on these engines

 

[husky455rancher]

Lifan is a good engine. If I’m not mistaken their Honda clones.

 

[husqvarna257]

Yes they are good. Got my 13 HP at Home Depot online. I've had it 5 years or more and I had to rebuild the carb when the fuel line was rotting and I had to replace the pull start so I ordered a Honda . It fit like a glove.

 

[rancher2]

loadthestove I have never used the Lifan motors but have used a lot of HF clone Honda engines and they have been fine. Had a buddy repower a Scag mower probably ten years ago. He tried to go down the knock off engine road. There were somethings about the Kaw engine that was different and he had to go back with the Kaw engine and even the exact model he had. I think it had to do with the drive clutch and pulley set up.

 

[JRM]

Have you tore into the Kaw at all to see what happened to it?

 

[loadthestove]

Have you tore into the Kaw at all to see what happened to it?

Yes I have,,,evidently the mower was run with a bad or no airfilter and the cylinder walls were scored
Heads were in bad shape.
With all the other issues it simply
wasn't cost effective to rebuild

loadthestove I have never used the Lifan motors but have used a lot of HF clone Honda engines and they have been fine. Had a buddy repower a Scag mower probably ten years ago. He tried to go down the knock off engine road. There were somethings about the Kaw engine that was different and he had to go back with the Kaw engine and even the exact model he had. I think it had to do with the drive clutch and pulley set up.

The problem is the shaft size
Kawasaki use a 1 1/8 by 4 inch shaft lofan,predator, and others ,the shaft size is to short or diameter is two small

I ran across another brand I've never heard of .
. CRX small engines
They had what I needed as far as shaft size and from my research CRX is a division of Honda engines
Other than some minor fabrication, install was not that big a problem
Best part ,I purchased the engine for $1450 shipping.included and has a three year warranty.